- 25 Mar 2013
- Research & Ideas
How Chapter 11 Saved the US Economy
In a relatively short time, much of the corporate debt that defaulted during the US financial crisis has been managed down and corporate profits have rebounded. Stuart C. Gilson reviews the power of Chapter 11 bankruptcy Closed for comment; 5 Comment(s) posted.
- 20 Feb 2013
- Research & Ideas
Big Deal: Reflections on the Megamerger of American and US Airways
The proposed marriage between American Airlines and US Airways would create the nation's largest airline. Professors Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Stuart Gilson reflect on a megamerger. Open for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.
- 17 Jun 2010
- Working Paper Summaries
When Do Analysts Add Value? Evidence from Corporate Spinoffs
The impact of financial analysts on capital market efficiency has been much debated in academia and in practice. A large body of academic research finds that analysts act as important information intermediaries who contribute to the overall efficiency of capital markets. Other research, however, has identified contexts in which the value of analyst coverage may be relatively more limited, such as when analysts face possible conflicts of interest, or when the company or situation they are presented with is especially complex. Still other research questions the informativeness of analyst recommendations in light of regulatory changes. In this paper, HBS doctoral graduate Emilie Rose Feldman and professors Stuart C. Gilson and Belén Villalonga examine 1,793 analyst reports written at the time of corporate spinoffs to determine how much value analysts create as information intermediaries in this setting. Spinoffs provide an interesting context for this purpose because the degree of information asymmetry between corporate insiders and investors is especially high. The paper is one of the first to provide very fine-grained detail on the quantity and types of analyses included in analyst reports. Key concepts include: Analysts pay relatively little attention in their reports to the subsidiaries that will be spun off, even though subsidiaries generally account for an economically significant share of firms' operations before the spinoff. The complexity associated with forecasting earnings and stock prices in the context of corporate spinoffs, combined with analysts' apparent disregard for subsidiaries in their analysis of corporate spinoffs, seem to limit analysts' ability to add value as information intermediaries in this setting. The potential for analysts to add value in this situation is especially high because while the new entities created by the spinoff have no stock price history—similar to an IPO—analysts may have been following the businesses of the parent and subsidiary for an extended time, giving them a comparative advantage in forecasting both entities' future financial performance. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.
- 01 Oct 2001
- Research & Ideas
How To Make Restructuring Work for Your Company
A bungled corporate restructuring can turn a good idea into disaster. In an excerpt from his new book, HBS professor Stuart Gilson outlines the keys for a successful corporate makeover. Plus: Gilson Q&A. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.
- 01 Oct 2001
- Research & Ideas
Cashing Out: The Rise of M&A in Bankruptcy
One consequence of the 2008 financial crisis was the virtual disappearance of traditional mergers and acquisitions activity. The years following the onset of the financial crisis have demonstrated, however, that M&A deal making is alive and well—in Chapter 11. In this study of a large sample of Chapter 11 cases, the authors examine how and why M&A has become a significant part of the process, arguing that the rise of M&A has blurred the usual distinctions between reorganization and liquidation. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.